Section 247
The Dogs and the Hides explained simply
Aesop's Fables by Aesop
Original excerpt
Excerpt preview
Once upon a time a number of Dogs, who were famished with hunger, saw some Hides steeping in a river, but couldn't get at them because the water was too deep. So they put their heads together, and decided to drink away at the river till it was shallow enough for them to reach...
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Public-domain original
Once upon a time a number of Dogs, who were famished with hunger, saw
some Hides steeping in a river, but couldn't get at them because the
water was too deep. So they put their heads together, and decided to
drink away at the river till it was shallow enough for them to reach
the Hides. But long before that happened they burst themselves with
drinking.
Public-domain original text shown for study context.
What happens here
Once upon a time a number of Dogs, who were famished with hunger, saw some Hides steeping in a river, but couldn't get at them because the water was too deep.
Why this scene matters
This fable matters because it turns a common human habit into a short lesson about judgment and consequences.
Characters in this scene
- The Dogs: A figure in the fable whose choice helps reveal the lesson.
- The Hides: A figure in the fable whose choice helps reveal the lesson.
Simple story version
Once upon a time a number of Dogs, who were famished with hunger, saw some Hides steeping in a river, but couldn't get at them because the water was too deep. So they put their heads together, and decided to drink away at the river till it was shallow enough for them to reach the Hides.